Monthly Archives: January 2012

skirted sofa inspiration

Last week I went to a client’s home in Connecticut with Jenny, so of course we did some suburban shopping afterward. I’m not exactly in the market for a new couch, but I was totally feeling the look of a slipcovered or skirted sofa at Lillian August. A little feminine, but comfy.

The armless on the right is so chic and effortless, while the piping on the left adds just the right amount of tailoring.

My favorite sofas in this style have clean lines, nary a pleat to be seen. This natural linen one works well in a masculine space–how now skirted sofa, how now!

{Images: Lonny / House Beautiful / Domino via Habitually Chic / Lonny}

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stripes and turquoise

This is my second foray into nautical this month and probably isn’t the last, so consider yourself warned!

Can we talk about Old Navy for a second? I had trouble picking just one piece from their current batch of arrivals–there’s a lot of good shiz in there! I haven’t bought a single new thing since before Christmas, mostly because I needed a J.Crew intervention. But my budget can totally handle a Old Navy blouse. Which is impressive.

{ J.Crew Bubble Necklace / Old Navy Dolman Sleeve Shirt / Kate Spade Juliana Too Flat}

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plans

Yesterday I woke up early to finish the day’s blog post, but after I watched a clip of Toddler and Tiaras, my browser crashed, taking my post along with it. So I went back to bed. Which about sums up my week.

I’m so full of ideas and plans, but just thinking about the breadth and work involved in them makes me want a nap. I know I need to break everything down into bite-sized, achievable chunks, but then there’s a show about spray tanning three year olds on, and I can’t really miss that.

There’s an intellectual debate on whether or not we’re bored enough as a society. The premise being, the intense focus and concentration needed to do thoughtful research, and have the “big” ideas, is inherently boring. Why the heck would you sit there reading Proust when people are livetweeting Downton Abbey? Why!

Also, have you read Bossypants yet? Fey has a really great passage that I’m starting to apply to blogging:

‘The show doesn’t go on because it’s ready; it goes on because it’s 11:30.’ … You have to try your hardest to be at the top of your game and improve every joke you can until the last possible second, and then you have to let it go. [...] It will never be perfect, but perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring on live TV.

I love that.

This is all to say, I have an editing deadline. Crap to do. Plans to make. Like everyone else.

Have a great weekend.

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painterly

I took a watercolors class at Alt on Saturday, which was my first experience with it. I used to paint ceramics as a kid, but I’ve never quite had the talent at drawing to bother with actual paintings. This might beg the question, aren’t you a designer? Page designer. Distinction!

Watercolors sort of do their own thing. There’s a fluidity (majorly obvious statement) that’s quite beautiful and exciting. So now I’m a little obsessed with painterly products–visible brush strokes, washes of color, and that lovely translucency of watercolor.

{1. Anthropologie Verdant Acres Plate / 2. Kate Spade Barclay Street Parker / 3. Modcloth Easily Abstracted Dress / 4. Linda & Harriett Watercolor Calendar / 5. Furbish Colorful Dragon Pillow}

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alt 2012

I’ve been working primarily from home for a full year now, both on the blog and various freelance projects. My husband is always amazed when I go five days without leaving the house and I don’t appear to be losing my mind. So imagine going to a place where 500 other women are all doing the same thing, perhaps with a little bit more outside contact. That’s Alt.

I didn’t take notes, but I did tweet (#altsummit) some of the takeaways from panels. These were my favorites.

If other bloggers are copying you, it’s because you’re doing something right.
Better to fail at something you love than succeed at something you don’t.
Know where you want to be in 2014 and work backwards.
Design is fundamental to the quality of the product.
Make one thing perfect.
Good design is a prerequisite for blogging now.
Blog communities aren’t cliques, don’t be afraid to approach other bloggers.

Ben Silbermann from Pinterest was absolutely inspiring. I posted a couple of photos from his keynote here.

Mad props to Jenny for sharing a room with me, and Tabitha for being my party winglady!

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